Teach Courage Through Stories

We want our kids to understand how best to treat their neighbor, follow God, and trust Him no matter what. We could explain the facts of why they should, have them memorize the verses, or lecture them on what will happen if they don’t.

Or we could tell them a story.

More often than not, the story will do more to help that child understand and respond to the truth than all the explanation you give. As author Steven James writes, “Humans are rarely interested in truth unless it’s wrapped up in a story.”

Not only are stories the best way to present truth, but these STORIES over TIME shape a person’s perspective and move them to imagine a world beyond themselves.

We live in a world often shaped by stories of fear. From the success of TV shows like Stranger Things and The Walking Dead to the on-going success of the Scooby-Doo franchise, media makes a lot of money every year on our willingness to put ourselves in scary situations. From the shows we watch to the thrill-seeking rides in amusement parks, we like to get scared.

But for many families, fear is a real part of life. Most of the time, our fears are unrealistic. We can take the worst-case scenario and dwell on it until we’re haunted by events that, in all likelihood, will never happen. This can show up in our thoughts about our health, our relationships, or situations that are out of our control.

In a recent post, Carey Nieuwhof talked about 3 ways to help kids combat fear. Another great way is for kids to hear an alternative narrative that shows how a person can show courage in the face of fear. Give examples from your own life, but also, give your kids stories of others showing courage, and you will be able to shape their perspective in an even bigger way.

Here are a few book titles to get you started thinking about the stories of courage that you could share with your kids:

About The Author

Dan Scott is the Large Group Director for 252 Basics Group at Orange. He spends most of his time leading a creative team of talented writers that innovate our large group environments. Prior to coming on board at Orange, Dan served as the Elementary Children’s Director at Ada Bible Church. He enjoys traveling around the world coaching children’s ministry leaders and speaking to kids and students. He blogs about life and ministry at danscottblog.com. Dan and his wife Jenna live in Cumming, GA and have four amazing kids: Liam, Ellison, Addison, and Taye.